1. Field of the Disclosure
The configurations described herein relate to a joint for composite wings. The joint may be for a lower side-of-body joint of an aircraft.
2. Description of the Related Art
Bolted side-of-body joints may be used to connect wings to the fuselage of an aircraft. One design of a side-of-body joint 200 presently used to connect a wing to a fuselage is shown in FIG. 12. The joint 200 includes a double plus chord 210 that includes a vertical portion 211, an upper inboard portion 212, a lower inboard portion 213, an upper outboard portion 214, and a lower outboard portion 215. An inboard wing panel assembly 220 is connected to the inboard side of the double plus chord 210 and an outboard wing panel assembly 230 is connected to the outboard side of the double plus chord 210.
The inboard wing panel assembly 220 includes a stringer 260 connected to an inboard wing skin 240 and the outboard wing panel assembly 230 includes a stringer 260 connected to an outboard wing skin 250. The stringer 260 includes a base flange 261 on the bottom of the stringer 260 and a cap 263 located on the top with a web 262 connecting the cap 263 to the base flange 261. The base flange 261 of the stringer 260 is connected to the inboard wing skin 240. The base flange 261 may be bonded to the inboard wing skin 240.
The cap 263 is connected to the upper inboard portion 212 of the double plus chord 210 by a plurality of fasteners 281. A portion of the web 262 and base flange 261 of the stringer 260 is cut so that base flange 261 of the stringer 260 does not overlap the lower inboard portion 213 of the double plus chord 210. A radius filler plate 291 is positioned above the base flange 261. Fasteners 290 connect the radius filler plate 291 to the base flange 261 and the inboard wing skin 240, which clamp the inboard wing skin 240 and base flange 261 to form a crack arrestment mechanism. Only the inboard wing skin 240 of the inboard wing panel assembly 220 is positioned below the lower inboard portion 213 of the double plus chord 210. The inboard wing skin 240 is positioned between the lower inboard portion 213 of the double plus chord 210 and a splice plate 270. Fasteners 280 connect the splice plate 270 to the lower inboard portion 213 of the double plus chord 210 securing the inboard wing skin 240 to the joint 200.
The outboard wing panel assembly 230 is constructed the same way as the inboard wing panel assembly 220. Fasteners 281 are used to connect the cap 263 of the stringer 260 to the upper outboard portion 214 of the double plus chord 210. Fasteners 280 connect the outboard wing skin 250 to the splice plate 270 and the lower outboard portion 215 of the double plus chord 210. The connection of one portion of a wing panel assembly to a first portion of a joint, and the connection of a second portion of a wing panel assembly to a second portion of the joint may result in differing forces to be applied to the different portions of the assembly.